Which Appliances Use the Most Electricity at Home?

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Last Updated on December 5, 2021 by Kelvin Nielsen

The electricity bill is, more often than not, the highest in most homes. While it’s dependent on several factors – such as size of the home – the appliances you use are the greatest determinant.

How big are they? How often do you use them? How long do they run? Are they Energy Star-rated? These are some of the factors that determine how much power your appliances consume.

Of course, you want your electricity bill to be as low as possible. The first step to lowering your electricity bill is knowing which appliances consume the most energy. If you have no idea, keep reading. The following are the appliances that use the most electricity at home.

1. The Fridge

Right at the top of the list is the energy-guzzling fridge. On average, the fridge can consume up to 33% of the total power in your home. And this can be affiliated to one reason – it has to run for 24 hours a day.

That said, there are several things you can do to minimize the power your fridge consumes:

Don’t leave the door open. When you leave it open, the fridge will have to work harder to achieve its optimum temperature. This means drawing more energy.
Frequently defrost your fridge. Ice build-up can weigh down the fridge, prompting it to consume more power.
Allow hot food to cool before putting it in.
Invest in an Energy Star-rated fridge. Energy Star appliances are known for their low power consumption.

2. The Heater

Admittedly, you can’t do without the water heater. However, consuming up to 14% of the total energy, it’s a big energy-swiller. How can you cut down the water heater power consumption?

Invest in a tankless water heater. Unlike their tanked counterparts, tankless heaters don’t preheat water. Rather, they heat water instantly when you open the faucet. This way, they minimize power wastage.
Install a water heater of the right size. The bigger the water heater, the more power it will consume.
Minimize the frequency of usage.
Get an Energy Star-rated water heater.

3. The Air Conditioner

Another consumer yet an energy hog is the AC. In a typical home, it can consume up to 16% of the total power. It gets much worse during summer, especially in warmer areas, where its consumption can hit 60-70%! You can minimize the amount of power your AC consumes by doing any of the following:

Opening windows to ventilate the room.
Fixing any leaks around doors and windows.
Taking advantage of the AC’s timer by setting it to go off after a specific duration.
Installing a programmable thermostat. A thermostat will minimize power wastage by adjusting the temperature accordingly or turning off the AC when it’s not needed.

4. The Washing Machine and Dryer

Washing machines also consume power considerably. They even consume more if you wash a few clothes frequently. To save on power, clean less often and run on full load. Also, go with the small or medium setting to save water and energy. And you don’t need to use warm water; cold water will also cut it.

The dryer, too, consumes notable power. On a sunny day, airdry the clothes on a hanging line to trim your power bill. You can use the washing machine’s spin cycle to reduce the time the dryer will use to dry the clothes.

5. Electric Oven

Electric ovens also consume a great deal of power. This is because they cook at high temperatures and take a lot of time. In addition, ovens with the self-cleaning feature will use more power.

To lower your electric bill, opt for a gas oven. Still, you can use the microwave or other small appliances such as a toaster, griller, or sandwich maker. These appliances are more energy-efficient.

6. The dishwasher

The dishwasher is one of the most energy-efficient appliances. In fact, cleaning with the dishwasher can use less energy than hand washing on the sink using hot water. However, if you are not tactful with the dishwasher, it can also be a hog.

What you want to do is load it fully and correctly to ensure one wash achieves the best results. Also, you can choose the setting that uses the least energy.

7. TV

Though not much of an energy hog, a TV consumes a fair share of an apartment’s overall power. The most effective way to save power is to watch as little of it as possible. And, when not watching, don’t just switch it off – unplug it to avoid unnecessary standby power wastage.

8. Lights

While most people don’t know it, lights also consume a notable amount of power. If you want your electricity bill to stay low, always turn the lights off when you’re not using them. Also, consider upgrading to modern, energy-efficient lights.

Some appliances such as the fridge, heater, and washing machine consume a lot of power. While we can’t live without them, there are things we can do to ensure they use minimal energy. Always be tactful when using your appliances to avoid energy wastage.